(Spice Grenada) It is the largest renewable energy investment in Grenada to date.
Grenlec recently finalised a contract for 937kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy spread over 13 sites at an aggregate capital cost of more than EC$6.4 million. These new installations represent Grenlec’s single largest renewable energy project investment in Grenada to date.
The 13 renewable energy sites include a combination of carport, roof and ground-mounted solar PV installations at Grenlec’s facilities in Grand Anse, Queen’s Park and Plains. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2016.
Together with Grenlec’s existing systems, these new solar sites will bring Grenlec’s company-owned renewable energy generating capacity to a total of 1.12 megawatts (MW), which is equivalent to approximately 4% of Grenada’s peak power demand. This new project alone will offset more than 1,100 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and power more than 500 homes annually through clean energy.
The project contract resulted from a competitive bid process conducted by Grenlec earlier this year. This solar initiative is part of Grenlec’s long-term commitment to increase renewable energy generation, and achieve the shared goal of Grenlec and the Government of Grenada for 20% renewable energy by 2020. Increasing the use of renewable energy in a prudent, balanced manner can help stabilise electricity costs and reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
This new solar project will use multiple sites and system types to overcome the challenge of securing large parcels of suitable, available land for renewable energy installations. To date, acquiring suitable land has been one of the major obstacles to increased renewable energy generation in Grenada.
Construction of the project, including commissioning of all individual 13 installations, is expected to take approximately nine months, with commercial operation estimated for mid-2016.
“We are aggressively pursuing additional renewable energy installations for generating electricity cost-effectively, reliably and safely as we diversify our mix of energy sources. Our goal is to continue stabilising electricity costs and contributing to a greener Grenada for the benefit of our customers and nation,” says Clive Hosten, Grenlec’s Chief Engineer.
Progress of the 13 new solar sites will be provided to the public periodically. For more information about Grenlec’s renewable energy initiatives and programmes, please visit www.grenlec.com.